AUSTIN TEXAS - Following the passage of H.R. 3590 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by the U.S. House of Representatives members of the Texas Conservative Coalition (TCC) announced plans to file legislation to reject the overreaching bill due to its impact and costs to the state and to Texans.
State Representative Dan Flynn (R-Van) announced his plan to file legislation to prohibit the implementation of the overarching federal healthcare overhaul in Texas: I view this act to be unconstitutional and a power grab by the Pelosi/Reid group. It is devastating to all Texans who have overwhelmingly voiced their concerns and received a slap in the face from Congress.
On Wednesday March 17 Idaho became the first state to formally reject ObamaCare as Governor Butch Otter signed a law that requires the state attorney general to file suit against the federal government.
The Associated Press reports that similar legislation is pending in 37 other states.
The Massachusetts health care reform enacted in 2006 known as RomneyCare has many similarities to the federal health care overhaul
legislation yet it has failed to contain health insurance costs. According to Grace-Marie Turner president of the Galen Institute A typical family of four in Massachusetts today faces total annual health costs of nearly $13788 the highest in the country. Per capita spending is 27 higher than the national average.
Despite the health insurance mandate that Massachusetts residents be covered the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) reports that the state still has more than 200000 uninsured residents.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) the federal health care overhaul legislation will cost $940 billion over the next decade.
It is estimated that the Medicaid expansions in ObamaCare will force Texas to increase spending on Medicaid although previous expansions of Medicaid have not reduced the uninsured rate. In 1988 the uninsured rate in Texas was 24.5 percent; in 2008 it was 24.1 percent even though spending on health and human services increased from $4.1 billion to $29.7 billion in the same period.
Said Flynn It is apparent to me that there is absolutely no correlation
between government spending and quality of healthcare.
The Texas Conservative Coalition officers cited several aspects of the legislation as particularly detrimental to Texas & Texans:
- A mandate for most legal residents of the United States to obtain health insurance;
- Health insurance exchanges" through which certain individuals and families could receive federal subsidies with which to purchase health insurance;
- Significantly expanded eligibility for Medicaid; and
- An excise tax on health insurance plans with relatively high premiums.
Added Flynn I will use all of my resources as a State Representative to insure that Texans are protected from this egregious power grab from D.C. I have and will continue to oppose destructive growth in government and abuse of tax payer dollars.
between government spending and quality of healthcare.
The Texas Conservative Coalition officers cited several aspects of the legislation as particularly detrimental to Texas & Texans:
